Electron-electron coincidence study of double Auger processes in atoms

The double Auger process after Ar2p and Ne 1s inner-shell photoionization is investigated by means of angle resolved time-of-flight electron-electron coincidence spectroscopy. This method allows to disentangle direct double Auger from cascade Auger processes. Information about the energy sharing as well as the angular correlation of the two emitted electrons is obtained. Circular dichroism in the double Auger emission produced by circularly polarized light is discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.